let me finish way book about when we hay hero for a president. this is "hardball," the place for politics. ♪ i'd like to thank eating right, whole grain, multigrain cheerios! mom, are those my jeans? [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios >>> time to bust another 2012 election myth. the idea took hold that african-americans would not be as fired up to vote as they were four years ago. but here is what the nbc news political desk found in looking at the exit polls. in the states with significant black populations, the black vote increased in five states, michigan, mississippi, missouri, ohio, and new jersey. it held firm in pennsylvania, virginia, north carolina, and florida. and it decreased in two states, new york and alabama. neither case was it even close. so much for flagging enthusiasm. we'll be right back. >>> welcome back to "hardball." john mccain and his allies have been trying to turn the benghazi attacks into a political scandal for the president since sept